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Municipality of Litija

Jerebova ulica 14

1270 Litija

(01) 896 34 24

(01) 896 34 60

Franc Rokavec

Slovenian People´s Party and Slovenian Democratic Party

14,518

108

316.3 sq kilometres

obcina.litija@litija.si

http://www.litija.si

Monday: 8:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 15:00

Wednesday: 8:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 17:00

Friday: 8:00 – 13:00

The municipality of Litija lies in central Slovenia, east of Ljubljana, in the western part of the Posavsko hribovje, on both banks of the River Sava. Its hilly parts are sparsely populated, bigger settlements have been built in the Sava valley, where the traffic routes (roads and railway) run. The municipal centre, Litija, is a town which grew from the former, once important ferry landing-point on the Sava, which used to be a busy trade route between Trieste, Ljubljana and Croatia. The settlement is first mentioned in church records in 1145. It gained market town rights in the 14th century. According to Valvazor (1641 – 1693), the name Litija derives from the Latin word “litus”, meaning “bank/shore”. Several minerals (mercury, lead, copper, zinc, iron, barite, etc.) have been found in the area; ancient mining locations and artefacts of past civilizations, which were found in the vicinity, indicate that mining was already practiced here in Illyrian, Celtic and Roman times. Sitarjevec was the largest and among the oldest mines in the Zasavje region, in which ore was dug until 1965. The economic development of Litija, especially mining, textile and wood processing, favourably influenced the construction of the southern railway line in 1849. However, at the same time this caused the end of several activities and trades, e.g. carpentry, staining and rope making, which were associated with shipping. From the historic point of view, we should mention that in the year 1528, Litija was ravaged by the Turks during the time of their conquests, and that neither the 16th century plague spared the area, nor the great 17th century fires. The first bridge across the River Sava was built in 1852, and Litija gained its town rights in 1952. The present Litija spans both banks of the Sava. The core of the old town is still preserved, and among the oldest and the most interesting buildings in the old town are: the Turn or the Farber castle, the old court of justice (where the primary school is located nowadays), Plečnik´s monument to the victims of World War II, the parish church of St. Nicholas (which has been renovated recently), and the most beautiful certainly include the restored central library of Dr. Slavko Grum (which used to be the headquarters of the district), as well as the new Litija Grammar School. Among the best known sights in the broader area is Vače, known for its “situla” (Latin word for pail), and other archaeological findings from the 5th and the 6th centuries B.C., as well as GEOSS – the geometrical centre of Slovenia.
The varied countryside offers many possibilities for trips and recreation. The whole area is interwoven with cycle paths and footpaths. There are also many tourist farms. The well-known walking events are: Levstik´s trail from Litija to čŒatež, the charcoal maker´s trail at Dole near Litija, and the march from Church to Church at Polšnik, which connects five nearby hills and their churches. Many visitors are attracted to Litija by traditional events, such as the Litija Shrove Tuesday Carnival, the walk and the cycle ascent to GEOSS – the geometrical centre of Slovenia, as well as some festivals and cultural events.